Retra gestures toward the woman beside her, an imposing figure draped in robes that seem to flow like shadows. “This is my Night Mother, Alima,” she says, her voice tinged with reverence.

  Alima steps forward with a sly smile. “But she is supposed to call me ‘Mom,’” she interrupts smoothly, her tone both teasing and warm.

  Retra scowls, a faint flush coloring her cheeks. “I was getting to that.”

  Alima smirks knowingly, glancing between the two of us. “Were you now? Well, I will leave you and your lover to your privacy,” she teases before sweeping out of the tent.

  Once she’s gone, I take a breath and stand up, feeling the weight of everything that has happened settle onto my shoulders. “This is... a lot to take in. Teya is going to be surprised,” I admit, running a hand through my hair.

  Retra folds her arms, her expression turning serious. “We should probably leave out the part about me being your one true love, though. I’m not sure how she’d take that.”

  She looks away, avoiding my gaze, her sudden shift in demeanor catching me off guard. “What?” I question, narrowing my eyes. “What are you hiding, Retra? What’s wrong with what I said?”

  She hesitates, her voice barely above a whisper. “I... don’t just like men. My true love isn’t one person; it’s two.”

  Her words send the world spinning around me. With everything that’s happened recently, this seems the most unbelievable. If she’s telling the truth, then all of this—Retra’s actions, Alima’s prophecy—was orchestrated, meant to bring us together. A feeling of unease coils in my chest.

  “Relax, Roan,” Retra says, her voice calm, but I can sense the tension in her shoulders. “There’s no point in fretting over things we can’t control.”

  I press my hands to my temples, feeling the weight of uncertainty settles over me. “Teya won’t like the idea of you and I being destined—much less the possibility of a third person.”

  “I know,” Retra admits, her voice carrying a hint of sadness. “We’re all walking different paths in the Force, but it’s not a bridge that’s never been crossed before.”

  I let out a frustrated breath, pacing the small space. “She won’t want to hear it. It’s against everything the Jedi Order teaches. Relationships like this—they’re forbidden. And besides, Teya and I... we don’t have those kinds of feelings for each other.”

  Retra’s eyes soften with understanding, but she doesn’t press the issue. “You’ll have to tell her eventually. I just hope she’s willing to listen.”

  She turns and leaves the tent, her footsteps soft on the worn ground. I find myself alone, grappling with the weight of destiny that seems to press in from all sides. Despite my gratitude for Alima’s help and guidance from the mysterious Bith, I can’t shake the feeling that our fates are being woven by forces beyond our control.

  “It’s not like that, brother,” comes the voice of the Murakami Orchid, breaking into my thoughts.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  “How is it not?” I demand, irritation edging my voice.

  “We didn’t create this path for you. It’s always existed. The Force only shows the way. We’re helping you find your destiny, not making it for you. Only you can pave your path,” the Orchid says, its tone carrying a hint of sage wisdom.

  I shake my head, frustration bubbling over. “You made a mistake. I’m a one-girl kind of guy.”

  “Hmm, but you’re all attracted to each other,” the Orchid replies, a smug note in its voice.

  “How can you know that?” I snap.

  “I’m a plant. I can sense and read pheromones,” the Orchid says, its amusement clear.

  I scoff, refusing to meet the smug tone. “So what if Retra and I have some attraction? That doesn’t mean I will for the other person.”

  “I’m not just talking about her,” the flower’s voice is knowing, almost taunting.

  Refusing to acknowledge the Orchid’s implications, I get up and head toward our ship, trying to shake off the unease settling in my chest. With everyone’s help, we load the last of the mud containers into the hangar, the ship ready for takeoff. We all take our seats, and Retra pilots the vessel, guiding us out of the atmosphere with a smooth, practiced motion.

  The silence hangs heavily in the air, each of us lost in our thoughts. The Orchid’s words echo in my mind, sowing seeds of doubt and confusion. If it isn’t Retra... could it mean Teya? No, that couldn’t be true. There’s no way she would feel that way.

  Teya breaks the silence, her voice uncertain. “I’m glad you’re okay, Roan. You... you look different.”

  I catch a glimpse of a faint blush on her cheeks, and my stomach twists with guilt. I’m hiding so much from her—truths and theories that could change everything. Forcing a smile, I try to brush it off. “Yeah, it’s a lot to process. But I’ve got new techniques I’ve been working on—things I couldn’t use before. I’ve got this.”

  As we breach the atmosphere, the Sith Lord’s ship appears on our sensors, closing in fast. Teya and Retra work quickly, opening the hangar doors and releasing the crates of mud into space. The containers burst open, and I use the Force to guide the mud, sending it toward the Sith vessel in a wave.

  I feel the Sith Lord’s power pushing back, attempting to repel the mud and clear his path. But this is a game of control and strategy, not brute strength. I redirect the mud, weaving it around his attempts to push it away. The mud covers his ship, blinding him and forcing it to a halt. I focus, filling his thrusters with mud and draining the heat from them until they freeze solid.

  Retra’s voice crackles over the comms, filled with urgency. “Roan, this is amazing! We can destroy him!”

  “No,” I respond firmly. “If we try, he’ll stop holding back and focus on killing us. He has a battleship. Right now, he thinks we have something he wants, and that’s the only reason we’re still alive. Our best chance is to use this advantage to escape and stay ahead of him until we can find a haven.”

  Retra nods, agreeing with my assessment. “We should leave while we can.”

  A vision flickers through my mind—an image of a red-skinned man with tentacles draping from his chin and down the sides of his mouth like a twisted mustache. His voice claws at my thoughts, filled with fury. “I’ll hunt you down!”

  The sound of his voice is like steel scraping against my mind, but then I hear the familiar voice of the Bith Master, calm and unyielding. “A mental attack? That may have worked under normal circumstances, but I am an expert at repelling such tricks.”

  The Sith’s voice wavers, shock, and fear creeping in. “You... you can’t be here! You died a long time ago!”

  The Bith’s voice takes on a bemused tone. “True, I may only be a memory of my former self, but that is more than enough to deal with the likes of you.”

  With a dismissive wave of his hand, the Bith’s presence pushes the Sith’s attack away, and the red-skinned figure’s scream echoes as he is forced from my mind. My vision snaps back into focus, and I find Teya’s worried face hovering above me.

  “Roan, are you okay?” she shouts, gripping my shoulders.

  “It was a mental attack, but I’m fine now. Let’s get out of here,” I say, forcing myself to stay calm.

  Retra nods, her hands flying over the controls as she activates the hyperdrive. The stars stretch into lines, and with a final shudder, our ship leaps into hyperspace, leaving our pursuer far behind.

  I'm thankful for what Alima, The mysterious Bith, and the Golden Flowers help but I don't like what's happening. Our fates are being weaved by powers outside our control.

  It's not like that brother," the Murakami Orchid adds.

  "How is it not?" I demand.

  We didn't make this path for you. It's always existed and the Force only shows the way. We're helping you reach your destiny, not making it for you. Only you can pave your path," The flowers say sagely.

  "You made a mistake I am one girl kind of guy."

  Hmm, but you're all attracted to each other. "

  How can you know that?"

  I'm a plant and I can sense and read pheromones," The Orchid explains

  if he isn't talking about Retra then he means Teya. It can't be her! There's no way Retra could have meant her.

  Nice try but this is a game of strategy and control. It's not a game of power like you are used to!